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Sheree Petersen has had an interesting and full working life but a lack of formal qualifications is holding the 58-year-old back from finding work.
This, despite three decades working as a professional carer in England and the United States.
“I spent nine years in England, 23 years in Los Angeles… View moreSheree Petersen has had an interesting and full working life but a lack of formal qualifications is holding the 58-year-old back from finding work.
This, despite three decades working as a professional carer in England and the United States.
“I spent nine years in England, 23 years in Los Angeles and then I got the offer of a lifetime to go to Hawaii, my flight would be paid, I would have my own room, own bathroom, floor to ceiling ocean views, convertible Camaro and to name my price. And this man had two weeks to two months to live and with my sole care he lived for another seven and a half years.
“Now I can’t get a job because it’s all agencies... I don’t have any piece of paper that says I have the qualifications.”
Her experience has made her contemplative rather than bitter.
“My message to young people today is that school doesn’t work for all of us, but if you find what you love, some kind of employment that’s never like working... do it well and you get better at it.”
She was hopeful for herself and others, she said.
“I am currently homeless, from having an awesome, awesome life and travelling, I have come back to New Zealand to a very different scene. And I am starting from the bottom again, but I definitely know this is not a forever situation... I think going through this gives one humility, so when you are up to the next level and the next, you are better able to help other people because you identify.”
Petersen’s father drowned when her mother was pregnant with her, she said, and she moved to Taupō in her early teens to escape an abusive step-father.
She soon left school and found a job at stationers and toy store Leisure Time.
“I drank after hours and in the weekends rather excessively. I never drank to enjoy a drink. I drank for the oblivion it would give me from what I didn’t want to remember.”
At 16 or 17, she was sent to Hanmer Springs.
“I hitch-hiked down there. Truck drivers picked me up… It was a whole lot safer than now.”
Since that short two months of treatment in the early 1980s, she has not drunk since.
But a desire to then study nursing fell flat when she wasn’t accepted into the small class at Tauranga Hospital.
“At that time I just saw death or jail. I didn’t see my life going forward.”
However an invitation from an old friend to visit England set her up.
“I had enough money for a one-way ticket… and I clearly remember my mother saying ‘if you get in trouble over there don’t think you’re calling us’.
“Next thing I remember is sitting on the plane saying ‘my life, my rules’ so that was the beginning of some awesome decisions.”
She even bumped into Elton John while working in the private Princess Margaret Hospital in Windsor, just outside of London.
“Even though I didn’t get accepted for nursing here I pursued that path… because I loved what I was doing I asked questions, I showed initiative. And after nine years in England I went on to America and worked in a private hospital in the operating room because of the experience I had.”
Eventually she ended up taking care of people in their own homes, including a doctor’s wife who had fallen off her bike and been in a coma for three months.
“She had a catheter, a feeding tube and a tracheotomy, her eyes couldn’t focus. The husband wanted to bring her home, there was nothing more they could do.”
Petersen cared for her for nine months - “longer than anybody had expected.”
And her reputation led to the offer in Hawaii.
“They said this man had suspected lung cancer, hadn’t been to the doctor in years, had congestive heart failure, a brain aneurysm and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, he was 50 pound underweight and he was six three.
“He lived for seven and a half years and he didn’t die of lung cancer, he had an aortic aneurysm.”
Coming back to New Zealand though hasn’t really met her expectations.
“I was brought up in the Maori culture and it was being among the Hawaians that gave me the desire to come home. If I’d known then what I know now I wouldn’t have come,” she said with a wry smile.
After 18 months in Tauranga she’s treating a return to Taupō as an opportunity.
“What’s happened, has happened, it can’t be undone… how we think about it and the attention we give it, we have the power to change...
“I really want to use what I feel is a gift. I don’t have the pieces of paper but I have a wealth of experience and I’m really looking to help somebody to be able to stay in their own home, be that private carer to help in whatever way is needed.”
Sheree Petersen can be contacted on 021 090 00099.
NZ Gardener is again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who have used gardening skills to help other people. Five finalists will feature in the October magazine and one will go on to become 2021 Gardener of the Year! There are some amazing prizes up for grabs so if you … View moreNZ Gardener is again looking for greenfingered good sorts – individuals or groups who have used gardening skills to help other people. Five finalists will feature in the October magazine and one will go on to become 2021 Gardener of the Year! There are some amazing prizes up for grabs so if you know a homegrown hero who is using their gardening skills for good, nominate them now!
Looking to upgrade your phone? Join an eligible 2Degrees Pay Monthly plan with Heathcote Appliances this month and get 50% off for the first 3 months.*
Get unlimited calls & texts & choose between endless or carryover data. PLUS, all pay monthly plans come with a free data hour each day!… View moreLooking to upgrade your phone? Join an eligible 2Degrees Pay Monthly plan with Heathcote Appliances this month and get 50% off for the first 3 months.*
Get unlimited calls & texts & choose between endless or carryover data. PLUS, all pay monthly plans come with a free data hour each day!
Come and see us at one of our four Waikato stores to explore our huge range of models – including the latest from the big brands like Apple, Oppo & Samsung.
"Being deaf is no barrier to learning and seeing someone like me achieving qualifications and working in a job that has a lot of responsibility has hopefully encouraged them to give it a go.”
When Erich Krogmann started the Food and Beverage Level 2 qualification, he had to learn how to … View more"Being deaf is no barrier to learning and seeing someone like me achieving qualifications and working in a job that has a lot of responsibility has hopefully encouraged them to give it a go.”
When Erich Krogmann started the Food and Beverage Level 2 qualification, he had to learn how to balance study with a night job and a young family, but his main challenge came in the form of his hearing disability.
Erich says he thinks he’s inspired other people with a disability to take on training.
Read Erichs full story here
"Being deaf is no barrier to learning and seeing someone like me achieving qualifications and working in a job that has a lot of responsibility has hopefully encouraged them to give it a go.”
When Erich Krogmann started the Food and Beverage Level 2 qualification, he had to learn how to … View more"Being deaf is no barrier to learning and seeing someone like me achieving qualifications and working in a job that has a lot of responsibility has hopefully encouraged them to give it a go.”
When Erich Krogmann started the Food and Beverage Level 2 qualification, he had to learn how to balance study with a night job and a young family, but his main challenge came in the form of his hearing disability.
Erich says he thinks he’s inspired other people with a disability to take on training.
Read Erichs full story here
No one dreams bigger than an Olympian, and nothing connects us as a nation quite like sport!
As a proud partner of the New Zealand Olympic Team, we’re getting behind our Olympians so they can turn their dreams into a reality.
Bring some ordinary storage baskets to life using a few Resene testpots of Resene Nero, Resene Glamour Puss and Resene White and some leafy house plants!
Find out how to create your own.
View Hamilton Harcourts' latest interactive Blueprint.
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Christopher Luxon is joining us as our guest in Taupo on Friday 9 July, we would love to see you at our Friendly Forum at 10am at Rotary House, 12 Story Place. Chris is an award-winning business and family man. He is also the National Spokesperson for Local Government, Māori Development and … View moreChristopher Luxon is joining us as our guest in Taupo on Friday 9 July, we would love to see you at our Friendly Forum at 10am at Rotary House, 12 Story Place. Chris is an award-winning business and family man. He is also the National Spokesperson for Local Government, Māori Development and Associate Spokesperson for Transport. Read more about Chris' journey and we hope to see you there. christopherluxon.national.org.nz...
RSVP is encouraged to ensure we arrange enough seating and catering.
LUN DLE Flyer (Taupo FF 9 July 2021) - Updated with Chris Luxon.pdf Download View
We are in a new era of change and an adaptable workforce is the best asset you can have. The right capability can open up massive opportunities for your business.
You may already have ambitious plans. So how do you build capability? By giving staff the opportunity to turn hidden talents into … View moreWe are in a new era of change and an adaptable workforce is the best asset you can have. The right capability can open up massive opportunities for your business.
You may already have ambitious plans. So how do you build capability? By giving staff the opportunity to turn hidden talents into new skills!
But it’s hard to know where to start, or even where to turn for advice. That’s where Competenz can help. We’re your industry training partner, turning talent into capability.
What a pleasure to meet Hayley Parsons of Clarks Beach, Auckland. She and husband Chris relocated this huge three-storey villa from Palmerston North to Auckland, and project managed the rebuild of Huntly House from London. Wonderful house, wonderful history.
If seeing is believing, then we’d love to invite you to see how our sustainability journey is going at The Warehouse.
Look in our stores or online and you’ll see more than 7,000 sustainable products that are better for the planet and your budget.
Look for the Better Cotton Initiative … View moreIf seeing is believing, then we’d love to invite you to see how our sustainability journey is going at The Warehouse.
Look in our stores or online and you’ll see more than 7,000 sustainable products that are better for the planet and your budget.
Look for the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) branding when you’re
browsing the racks, and you’ll see we’re proud to invest in making cotton production more sustainable.
Look for the FSC label on wood and paper products we stock, and you’ll see we’re dedicated to protecting our forests.
Sustainable & Affordable. It means more choice.
Embrace a Modernist aesthetic with this simple chair decorated with Resene products.
Find out how to create your own.
This month we’re celebrating the diverse array of people who call New Zealand home. Regardless of our different faiths, abilities, cultures, ages, orientations and genders - we want to make sure that our communities are safe and welcoming for all.
There are many ways to take part! From hosting a… View moreThis month we’re celebrating the diverse array of people who call New Zealand home. Regardless of our different faiths, abilities, cultures, ages, orientations and genders - we want to make sure that our communities are safe and welcoming for all.
There are many ways to take part! From hosting a multicultural potluck or film screening to providing prevention information / resources in other languages, there are thousands of ways big and small to make our households, neighbourhoods, schools and businesses even more inclusive. It could even be as simple as learning from a neighbour how to say ‘hello’ in their first language or ensuring local footpaths are clear and accessible.
Want to share your thoughts? Let us know how you’re creating inclusive communities this month by tagging us in your social media posts or emailing us your photos, videos, or experiences to:
info@neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz
View Hamilton Harcourts' latest interactive Blueprint.
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